Enhancing Student Success through Meaningful Engagement Opportunities

By Corey Seemiller, PhD Office of Research and Strategic Initiatives

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Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Why Engagement is Important 1

Challenge to Engagement 2

Where do you Start? 2

Engagement Frameworks 3

Engagement Practices for Student Success 4

Strategies to Engage Students 6

Assessing Engagement Practices 7

Tips on Engaging Students for Student Success 7

References 8

Learn Forward Engagement Series Schedule and Other Resources 9

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Introduction

Student engagement, student involvement, retention, persistence, and student success, all buzzwords on college campuses. Administrators are consistently searching for the golden ticket to increase graduation rates and overall GPAs while curbing departure rates. So, what can institutions do? One approach is to foster student engagement.

What is Engagement?Engagement is the quality of effort a student puts into “educationally purposeful activities that contribute directly to desired outcomes” (Astin, 1993; Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991 from Hu & Kuh, 2002, 555). Engagement is a mutual relationship between the student and the institution. A student must be engaged, but the institution must be engaged back by creating inclusive and affirming environments, student-faculty contact, active and collaborative learning opportunities, and clear expectations (Wolf-Wendel, Ward, & Kinzie, 2009).

Why Engagement is Important

Engaged students gain more from college.The college experience is a holistic journey of learning and development. This learning and development may come in many forms such as through academic courses, membership in a fraternity or sorority, holding a position in an organization, participating in a leadership program, or engaging in service learning. Students who are engaged get more out of the college experience in terms of learning and development than students who are not engaged or minimally engaged (Kuh et al., 2000; Pace, 1990b; Pascarella and Terenzini, 1991 from Hu & Kuh, 2002).

Engagement contributes to retention.Students who participate in extra-curricular activities, inter-collegiate sports, ROTC, campus employment, and undergraduate research projects with a professor are less likely to drop out than students who are not engaged (Astin, 1984). Students want to stay somewhere they feel connected to and have the support systems to do well.

Engagement increases student success.Institutions that provide engagement opportunities that integrate academic, social, and personal support such as summer bridge programs, mentoring, and student organizations create environments in which students are more likely to persist and graduate (Tinto, 2001).

Engagement prepares students for the real world. Employers are looking for students who have participated in engagement opportunities. Participating in internships or projects, for example, makes students more marketable to employers because of the leadership skills they develop during the experience (Maskooki, Rama, & Raghunandan, 1998; Perry, 1989; Raymond, McNabb, & Matthaei, 1993 from Knouse & Fontenot, 2008). According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the top five skills sought after by employers when hiring students out of college are all related to the type of skills students can gain from an engagement experience like working in teams and problem solving (NACE, 2013).

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Challenge to Engagement

We know that engagement is invaluable to the college experience, but how do we convince students of that? We will always have the engaged and over-engaged students, and most of our time is dedicated to them.

What about the disengaged or under-engaged student? Astin (1984) refers to needing a “hook” to stimulate students to get involved in engagement experiences. Remember, that if you build it, they might not come. Engagement opportunities need to be communicated far and wide beyond the engaged student pool, and students must see the value in the engagement. Vergara (2014) also asserts that we must do more than just make students aware of engagement; we must create a means for students to have an emotional connection with engagement. Would they attend an event if a friend were going or if they cared about the event’s purpose? What connects students to their own engagement?

Kuh (2003) indicates that the most engaged students tend to be:

• Women

• Full-time students

• Students living on campus

• Students who start and graduate from the same institution

• Students in learning communities

• International students

• Students with diversity experiences

1.Select a framework for engagement.

2. Use the framework to design engagement practices.

3. Encourage students to participate in engagement opportunities.

4. Assess the developmental outcomes of student engagement.

Where do you Start?

Remember, engagement is a two way street. Institutions must engage students for students to be engaged. Here are four steps to consider when instituting engagement opportunities for students.

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Engagement Frameworks

There are many frameworks providing a structure for developing engagement opportunities. The following three examples are highlighted to showcase a variety in the types of frameworks that can be used.

Social Change Model of Leadership

Based on Gallup data, the Wellbeing framework (Rath, 2010) showcases five life categories. These include:

• Career Wellbeing: Liking what you do vocationally or avocationally

• Social Wellbeing: Ensuring relationships are healthy and strong

• Financial Wellbeing: Managing finances effectively

• Physical Wellbeing: Maintaining good health

• Community Wellbeing: Engaging with the community

This framework is based on wellness.

The Social Change Model of Leadership (Astin, 1996) is couched in leadership for social change and is geared specifically toward developing student leaders to make a difference. The model provides the 7 Cs as a framework for engagement.

• Consciousness of Self: Understanding yourself and your values

• Congruence: Living your values

• Commitment: Committing to a cause

• Collaboration: Working effectively with others

• Common Purpose: Working with others toward a shared goal

• Controversy with Civility: Working effectively across differences in identities and viewpoints

• Citizenship: Engaging the community in meaningful change

This framework is based on leadership development.

Wellbeing

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What do you do with a framework? First, either select a framework or create your own based on the values, culture, and expected outcomes of your institution or program. Second, when you develop engagement opportunities, you can use your framework as a rubric to ensure that you are offering engagement experiences in each category of the framework. Some categories may just serve as headings for a multitude of engagement experiences for students to choose from or the categories can be developmentally spread out over a period of time. For example, offering engagement experiences focusing on consciousness of self in the first stage of a program (i.e. first year students) might help develop a foundation for student participation in engagement experiences focusing on congruence during the next stage (second year students).

Having a framework does not just ensure your engagement opportunities are theoretically sound, balanced, and developmentally appropriate, but being transparent about them makes it easy for students to identify experiences that fit for them.

Engagement Practices for Student SuccessSo, how do you know what types of engagement experiences to put in each category of the framework? The following are a compilation of ideas of engagement experiences. Some are drawn from LEAP (Kuh, 2008) and are high impact engagement experiences found to be educationally effective (Education Commission of the States, 1995; National Survey of Student Engagement, 2000; The Study Group on the Conditions of Excellence in American Higher Education, 1984, from Hu & Kuh, 2002), whereas others are drawn from other higher education research and experiences of practitioners in higher education.

Summer BridgeSummer bridge programs are pre-college transition programs typically occurring 1-8 weeks before classes start for incoming first-year students. They are designed to help students acclimate to college (Ackerman, 1991). During the program, students often stay on campus, take one or two classes to get a head start in college, learn student success skills, and participate in activities to help them transition to campus life.

Welcome EventsHold events like convocation, welcome week, theme days or opportunities to celebrate school spirit (wear your shirt for school spirit), and give away swag (inexpensive items with school or program branding for visible unity) (Grace, 2014). These traditions can help students develop a connection to the institution.

First-Year Seminars and Success ExperiencesFirst-year seminars and success experiences can help students acclimate to college, learn how to work collaboratively with others, develop the tools to be successful in college, and foster a mentoring relationship with a staff/faculty member right away (Kuh, 2008). These programs also provide a captive audience to share engagement opportunities to get students connected to the institution early on.

The GPS LifePlan (Century College, 2006) highlights five areas that contribute to personal success in college.

• Career: Exploring and determining one’s future career and understanding the steps it will take to get there

• Education: Finding an academic passion and selecting a major that fits with that passion

• Finance: Understanding how to effectively budget and make sound financial decisions

• Leadership: Exploring one’s personal leadership style and enhancing the ability to work with others across differences

• Personal: Engaging in practices of wellness

This framework is based on college transition and success.

GPS LifePlan

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Learning CommunitiesIn learning communities, students take two or more courses together so the learning from one class can build on the learning from the other. Not only does this concept provide seamless learning, but it also creates a way for students to connect with each other through the sharing of a common experience (Kuh, 2008). Linked courses can be any from writing and history to leadership and liberal arts to student success and math. Living learning communities take it one step further by providing a residential space in which students live and learn together so their learning in the classroom is complemented by engagement opportunities outside the classroom in their living environment.

MentoringOffering formal mentoring programs with faculty/staff mentors can help engage students in their own development and provide a connection to the institution. In addition, interaction with faculty and staff is a form of engagement (Wolf-Wendel, Ward, & Kinzie, 2009). While it is valuable to give advice and guidance to students, mentors must know their students’ strengths, weaknesses, interests, and motivations to be able to help mentor them into meaningful college experiences. Embracing each student’s story is critical to effective mentoring (Vergara, 2014). Mentors should help students seek out the next step in their engagement (student employment, leadership position, internship) and use reflections and action plans as tools to help students lay out their plan (Grace, 2014).

Leadership ProgramsLeadership programs provide students a structured engagement experience aimed to intentionally develop leadership competencies for success in college and post-college. Programs can be curricular like courses or a minor in leadership or can be co-curricular like certificate programs, retreats, conferences, or cohort experiences. Leadership program participation, even short-term, is linked to higher leadership learning outcomes for students (Dugan & Komives, 2007).

Collaborative Assignments and ProjectsCollaborative assignments and projects can provide engagement opportunities for students as well (Kuh, 2008). Although these experiences are primarily in the classroom, out-of-class collaboration can be incredibly engaging. For example, members of a student group who have to work together to put on a conference for the campus or student government representatives who need to come together to design a proposal for the administration can be intentional collaborative learning experiences. Program and organization advisors can play a key role in helping establish positive practices for effective collaboration.

Undergraduate ResearchEngaging in undergraduate research most often involves students working on a faculty research project or completing research as a part of a class assignment (Kuh, 2008). Students, however, can engage in research outside of class as well. Consider putting together a student research team for your office or asking some students to help with one-time assessment project. Advisors of student organizations can encourage their students to assess and evaluate events, programs, and processes.

Diversity/Global LearningIt is vital that students have an opportunity to explore and interact with people from other identities, cultures, perspectives, and experiences (Kuh, 2008). Institutions can provide workshops, retreats, simulations, intergroup dialogues, immersion trips, and programs that help students expand their cultural competency.

Service LearningService learning is experiential-based community service that involves reflection and application (Kuh, 2008). Students learn about a social issue, contribute service to address the issue, reflect on their service experience, and apply what they learned in their lives. The key to service learning is establishing a community partner (usually an organization or non-profit in the community) that is already working to address the issue. That community partner can coordinate or at least suggest an appropriate service experience based on community needs.

Student EmploymentOn-campus employment can give students the real-world skills they need to be successful in and out of college and positively impacts a student’s GPA, degree completion, and their affective and cognitive development (Astin, 1993). Having to report for a shift on time might help a student develop time management skills that transcend into their study habits or working in a team-based environment might help a student engage more effectively in class group projects.

InternshipsInternships provide students hands-on training in a work setting doing something related to their vocational interests (Kuh, 2008). Internships not only provide experience, but students develop networks and mentors in their future career field. Campus internships are often overlooked yet provide a great training ground for nearly any occupation. Need an internship for an accounting major? How about working with the business manager in your office? What about someone going into web development? Maybe that student could redesign the office website.

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CapstonesCapstones are culminating experiences at the end of a program, major, or entire college experience (Kuh, 2008). They can be in the form of a research paper, performance, presentation, exhibit, or portfolio. Integrating a capstone requirement into an engagement program such as a student leadership program, service learning program, student leader role, etc. could provide a means for the student to engage in synthesis and meaningful reflection.

Strategies to Engage StudentsSo, how do we actually get students to participate in engagement opportunities? Here are some ideas to get you started. Let’s use the following scenario:

So, you have a day-long service project and you are hoping students will sign up to participate. But, the day before the event, you only have four signed up. Typically we do one of three things. We ask the “usual suspects” who are already over-engaged to fill in so we have enough participants to offer the program, we cancel the program, or we just go with four students. We haven’t really considered the alternative. What about getting four more sign-ups of people who do not normally participate?

Refer a FriendTry a refer-a-friend option. Each student who signed up is asked to bring a friend, roommate, or coworker who has not been as actively involved in previous service programs. If they all bring one person, the number in attendance doubles and four additional people who might not have otherwise engaged without the personal invite from someone they knew are now engaged.

IncentivesIncentives can provide a way to motivate and reward students for participating in engagement opportunities. Perhaps the first 100 attendees receive a t-shirt or those who attend an event or participate in an experience all have their names entered into a raffle. Incentives do not always have to be tangible items. Having students who finish a leadership certificate program or complete a capstone project might be invited to meet a prominent leader, have VIP access to an event, or have dinner at the President’s or Chancellor’s house. Incentives do not always have to have a concrete monetary value; sometimes experiential incentives can have a larger impact on student participation.

Require ParticipationSome engagement opportunities are expectations of a larger requirement such as service learning as a graduation requirement or participation in a leadership program as part of a scholarship. Although they are required experiences, the end result is the same: Students gain engagement experience.

Expand marketing effortsAlthough in many ways it makes sense to target first-year students with engagement opportunities, the reality is that any student can benefit from participation. Consider expanding your reach to sophomores who did not get engaged their first year in college (Vergara, 2014) or transfer students who are new to the institution. Even seniors realizing that they could benefit from an engagement experience before graduation can be a great market to reach out to for involvement.

Peer MarketingYour students are your best recruiters. Consider creating positions (paid or volunteer) for student recruiters or ambassadors for your engagement experiences. Having them tell their engagement story can be a draw for other students, certainly more than the email sent from a staff member. Help those ambassadors develop their elevator speeches so they can share the benefits of engagement any time (Vergara, 2014).

“When I am asked, what one thing we can do to enhance student engagement and increase student success? I now have an answer: make it possible for every student to participate in at least two high-impact activities during his or her undergraduate program, one in the first year, and one taken later in relation to the major field. The obvious choices for incoming students are

first-year seminars, learning communities, and service learning.”

Kuh, G.D. (2008). High-impact educational practices: What they are, who has access to them, and why they matter. American Association of Colleges & Universities.

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Campus PartnershipsSometimes it is a matter of not being aware of engagement opportunities. So, how do we reach past those who are already engaged enough to learn of an opportunity? Various campus departments have pockets of students they work with. Reach out to your campus partners like those who work in tutoring and learning support, in the residence halls, and in the recreation center to invite students to participate in engagement opportunities.

Students Engaging StudentsStudents like to come to student-run events. Populate your campus calendar with engagement opportunities offered by staff/faculty as well as those offered by students. This brings “vibrancy” to the campus calendar by having a multitude of engagement offerings (Vergara, 2014).

Assessing Engagement PracticesThree areas are commonly assessed when looking at the impact of engagement opportunities on student success. They are student development, student departure, and student retention.

Student DevelopmentOne way to assess student engagement is to determine whether a student enhanced the developmental outcomes associated with the engagement experience. First, you would identify the intended competencies for each experience and then evaluate students after they participate.

Student DepartureSome institutions engage in interviews and surveys when a student exits the college or university. Engagement data that could be gleaned from this process could be uncovering the reason a student is leaving (financial, academic, social, etc.) and connect that information to their campus engagement. Are students who are socially engaged leaving for academic reasons? Are some students just leaving because they do not feel socially connected to or engaged with the institution? Disaggregating this data could help shed light on ways to enhance support and engagement for student persistence.

Student RetentionBeing able to access retention and GPA data based on level of engagement (participation in particular engagement experiences) could help illuminate factors that influence students to stay at the institution and perform well academically. Maybe all students in one particular engagement experience do better academically than others.

Tips on Engaging Students for Student Success

A few thoughts on engagement:

1. One engagement experience does not fit all. Make sure to diversify your offerings.

2. Be transparent with students as to why engagement is important to college success (and beyond). Students are the best ambassadors to get other students engaged.

3. Do not start from scratch in designing engagement experiences. There are many great frameworks, models, and examples already developed.

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References

Ackermann, S.P. (1991). The benefits of summer bridge programs for underrepresented and low-income transfer students. Community/Junior College, 15(2), 211–224.

Astin, A.W. (1984). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of College Student Personnel, 25(4), 297-308.

Astin, A.W. (1993). What matters in college? Four critical years revisited. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Astin, A.W., Astin, H.S., Boatsman, K.C., Bonous-Hammarth, M., Chambers, T., Goldberg, L S., . . . Shellogg, K.M. (1996). A social change model of leadership development: Guidebook (Version 3). Los Angeles, CA: University of California, Higher Education Research Institute.

Century College. (2006). GPS LifePlan. Minnesota State College and University system.

Dugan, J. P., & Komives, S. R. (2007). Developing leadership capacity in college students: Findings from a national study. A Report from the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership. College Park, MD: National Clearinghouse for Leadership Programs.

Grace, M. (2014). Strategies for engaging first year students [webinar]. OrgSync, Inc. Learn Forward series.

Hu, S. & Kuh, G.D. (2002). Being (dis)engaged in educationally purposeful activities: The influences of student and institutional characteristics. Research in Higher Education, 43(5), 555-575.

Knouse, S.B. & Fontenot, G. (2008). Benefits of the business college internship: A research review. Journal of Employment Counseling, 45, 61-66.

Kuh, G.D. (2003). What we’re learning about student engagement from NSSE: Benchmarks for effective educational practices. Change, 35(2), 24-32.

Kuh, G.D. (2008). High-impact educational practices: What they are, who has access to them, and why they matter. AmericanAssociation of Colleges & Universities.

National Association of Colleges and Employers. (2013). The candidate skills/qualities employers want. Retrieved from https://www.naceweb.org/s10022013/job-outlook-skills-quality.aspx

Rath, T. (2010). Wellbeing: The five essential elements. New York: Gallup Press.

Tinto , V. (2001). Taking student retention seriously. Annual Recruitment and Retention Conference, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Austin, TX.

Vergara, J. (2014). Fostering student success through meaningful engagement opportunities. OrgSync, Inc. Learn Forward series.

Wolf-Wendel, L., Ward, K., & Kinzie, J. (2009). A tangled web of terms: The overlap and unique contribution of involvement, engagement, and integration to understanding college student success. Journal of College Student Development, 50(4), 407-428.

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Learn Forward Engagement Series

Throughout the 2014 academic year, we will provide webinars focused on research and practical application, ebooks on strategies and best practices, and interactive blog posts engagement in higher education to give you knowledge and tools to enhance the valuable work you do. Below are the topics that will be covered:

September | Engagement and Student Success • Strategies for Engaging First Year Students • Events and Calendars as Engagement Tools • Fostering Student Success Through Meaningful Engagement Opportunities • Bridging the Gap: Integrating OrgSync to Enhance Student Engagement

October | Engagement as an Intentional Process • Not Just Another Campus Program: Intentional Student Engagement • Reaching the Other 80%: Helping All Students Find Their Fit • Give ‘em the Goods! Making OrgSync Worthwhile • Using Attendance Tracking to Support Engagement Initiatives

November | Engagement and Employability • Engagement Experiences Employers Want • Preparing Career-Ready Graduates through Student Engagement • Engaging Students through Professional Preparation • Showcasing Engagement with the ePortfolio

January | Creating Meaningful Online Engagement Opportunities • Creating Meaningful Online Engagement Opportunities • Engaging and Developing Distance Learners • OrgSync, Your Digital H.U.B. • Engagement on the Go: Engagement Using a Mobile App

February | Engagement as Experiential Learning • Engagement as Experiential Learning • Engaging Student Veterans • Building Community Connections through Service Management • R U Ngaged? Tips and Tricks for Engaging Students through Text Messaging

March | Making Meaning of Engagement Experiences through Reflection • Making Meaning of Engagement Experiences through Reflection • Using Strengths to Build Engagement • Creative Reflection Strategies: Using the Capstone to Capture Engagement • Creating Meaningful Co-Curricular Transcripts for Students

April | Assessing Student Engagement • Assessing Student Engagement • End of Year Reporting • The Student Engagement Puzzle: Piecing Together Divisional Student

Involvement Data using Technology • Using Forms to Measure Engagement

For more information about the Learn Forward Engagement Series visit:www.orgsync.com/learnforward

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Part of the Learn Forward Engagement Series